Srihari Nataraj is an Indian professional swimmer. He is the youngest Indian male swimmer to qualify for the FINA A-level international swimming standard in the men’s 100m backstroke and directly qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Srihari holds several national records.
Wiki/Biography
Srihari Nataraj was born on Tuesday, January 16, 2001, in Bangalore, India (age 20; as of 2021). His zodiac sign is Capricorn. Srihari received his primary and secondary education from Delhi Public School, Bangalore, and Jain Heritage School, Bangalore. He continued his higher education at Sri Bhagawan Mahaveer Jain College in Bangalore. Srihari Nataraj has been very fond of sports since he was a child and started swimming at the age of 2. Srihari competed in various swimming competitions at the national and international levels before entering the teenage years.
Srihari Nataraji childhood photos
appearance
Height (approximately): 6′1″
Weight (approximately): 80kg
Eye color: black
Hair color: black
family
Parents and siblings
Srihari Nataraj was born into a family of athletes. His father Nataraj Venkataramanan was a cricketer at Bangalore University. His mother Kalyani was a volleyball player who represented Tamil Nadu in the National Junior Championships. His brother Balaji Nataraj is also a swimmer. Srihari Nataraj’s uncle was a cricketer who played for Ranji and his cousin got a chance to play with Rahul Dravid.
Srihari Nataraj and his mother
Profession
Srihari Nataraj started swimming at the age of 2. At a very early age he tried all possible sports but was more inclined towards cricket. Srihari said in an interview,
I used to bowl fast bowlers and leg-spinners. I also used to play basketball, tennis and football. “
But his love for blue water actually started when he watched his brother practice in the pool. Srihari first competed in swimming at age 5. He recounted his first swimming competition experience:
My first competition was when I was 5 years old. I swam for both events. This was a very memorable race as it was one of the races that ignited my swimming career. That’s why I’m a swimmer now. Being the youngest swimmer and winning two gold medals is very motivating and exciting! “
Srihari Nataraj practiced under the guidance of coach AC Jayarajan, who saw his abilities at a very young age and suggested professional training for him. Later, he was transferred to the academy of famous swimming coach Nihal Amin. A few years of practice and a strict diet helped him bag medals in several state and national competitions.
Srihari Nataraj and his coach
Srihari Nataraj made his international debut in 2015 at the Asian Age Group Swimming Championships, finishing 8th in the 200m individual medley, 6th in the 100m backstroke and 6th in the 200m backstroke. Srihari won his first national gold medal in the 100m backstroke at the 2017 National Youth Swimming Championships with a time of 57.33 seconds.
Srihari Nataraj wins his first national gold medal
In the same year, he participated in the National Youth Swimming Championships in Pune and set national records in 100m backstroke, 50m backstroke, 200m backstroke and 200m freestyle, and won gold medals in various competitions. In 2018, Srihari Nataraj set a new national record in the 100m backstroke with a time of 56.71 seconds. Srihari won a total of 7 gold medals at the 2019 Kailo Youth Games in India. He won his first international gold medal in the 4x100m freestyle relay team at the Asian Age Group Swimming Championships. At the 73rd National Adult Swimming Championships, Srihari broke his own national records in the 200m backstroke and 100m backstroke.
On July 1, 2021, Srihari created a historic moment in the men’s 100m backstroke time trial at the Settekoli Swimming Competition in Rome, Italy, becoming the youngest Indian swimmer to qualify for the FINA “A” standard qualifying event. athletes and received a direct ticket to the Tokyo Olympics 2020. Sports Minister of India Shri Kiren Rijiju took to Twitter to congratulate Srihari Nataraj on his extraordinary achievement.
India’s Sports Minister took to Twitter to congratulate Srihari Nataraj for achieving FINA’A’ ranking
medal
gold
- 2016: South Asian Swimming Championships 100M Backstroke, Colombo, Sri Lanka
- 2016: South Asian Swimming Championships 200m Backstroke, Colombo, Sri Lanka
- 2016: South Asian Swimming Championships 4x 100m Medley Relay, Colombo, Sri Lanka
- 2017: National Junior Swimming Championships, Pune, India 50m Backstroke
- 2017: National Youth Swimming Championships, Pune, India, 100m backstroke
- 2017: National Junior Swimming Championships 200m Backstroke in Pune, India
- 2017: 200m Freestyle National Junior Swimming Championships in Pune, India
- 2019: Khelo India Youth Games 50m Freestyle, Pune, India
- 2019: Khelo India Youth Games 200m Freestyle, Pune, India
- 2019: Khelo India Youth Games 50m Backstroke, Pune, India
- 2019: 100m backstroke at the Khelo India Youth Games, Pune, India
- 2019: 200m backstroke at the Khelo India Youth Games, Pune, India
- 2019: 4x100m Medley Relay, Indian Youth Games, Khello, Pune, India
- 2019: India Kolo Youth Games 4×100 Freestyle, Pune, India
- 2019: 73rd National Senior Swimming Championships 100m Backstroke, Bhopal, India
- 2019: 73rd National Adult Swimming Championships 200m Backstroke, Bhopal, India
- 2020: Uzbekistan Aquatic Championships Open 50m Backstroke, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
- 2020: Uzbekistan Aquatic Championships Open 100m Backstroke, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
silver
- 2016: South Asian Swimming Championships 50M Backstroke, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Awards and Honors
Ekalavya Awards 2020
On November 22, 2020, Srihari Nataraj was awarded the Ekalavya Award for his outstanding performance in swimming. The Ekalavya Award is awarded to sports personalities across the country by the Government of Karnataka in recognition of their outstanding performance in the field of sports. The winners will receive a gold trophy and a cash prize of Rs. 200,000.
Srihari Nataraj wins Ekalavya Award
Record
- Men’s 100m backstroke national record at the 2021 Rome Sette Kohli Trophy Meet
- First Indian to reach the 2018 Youth Olympics finals
favorite thing
Facts/Trivia
- Srihari Nataraj practiced freestyle in the early stages of his swimming career. On the recommendation of coach AC Jayarajan, he also started practicing backstroke and won his first gold medal in the 100-meter backstroke event.
- Srihari Nataraj in an interview revealed that he follows a specific ritual before and after completing every match. He said,
Pregame – I pray before the game starts and listen to music from the time I leave the field until the game starts. Post-Race – As soon as the race was over I thanked God that I met my coach right away as soon as I got out of the water. “
- Srihari Nataraj has represented India at various domestic and international levels, participating in the 2018 Asian Games, 2018 Commonwealth Games and the 2019 World Aquatics Championships.
- In an interview, Srihari’s mother revealed that Srihari’s father did not believe that Srihari would continue to participate in the professional tour of the World Championships because it was beyond their ability to bear. she says,
When his dad heard we were spending so much money for the World Championships, he said, ‘You don’t have to go. What value does your achievement have if you have to spend money all over the world? “
She further added,
In the last month or so, we have spent close to INR 8 lakh on Srihari’s two World Championships, the Senior World Championship in Gwangju in July and the Junior World Championship in Budapest which concluded a few days ago. We spend INR 70,000-80,000 per month on his swimming and nearly INR 30 Lakhs on his sports in the past few years. “
- Since 2018, Srihari Nataraj’s event schedule has been sponsored by PumaIndia, FastandUnIndia and Merakiconnect. Srihari often promotes these brands on his social media accounts.
Srihari Nataraj promotes PumaIndia on his Instagram account
- Srihari also runs a YouTube channel called ‘Srihari Nataraj’ where he shares videos of swimming competitions.
- Srihari is an animal lover who wishes to have a pet dog at home.
Srihari Nataraj holding a pug
- Srihari Nataraj likes to play Jenga in his spare time.
Srihari Nataraj plays Jenga
- Srihari Nataraj’s favorite quote is
I’m not always right, but I’m never wrong. “
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education